'retire!' said barnardine, sternly; 'you are not wanted;' and, as emily said nothing, annette obeyed.
'i can tell you,' repeated the porter,--'but i know not how--you was afflicted before.'--'i am prepared for the worst, my friend,' said emily, in a firm and solemn voice.'i can support any certainty better than this suspense.'
'well, signora, if that is the case, you shall hear.--you know, isuppose, that the signor and his lady used sometimes to disagree.it is none of my concerns to enquire what it was about, but i believe you know it was so.'
'well,' said emily, 'proceed.'
'the signor, it seems, had lately been very wrath against her.i saw all, and heard all,--a great deal more than people thought for; but it was none of my business, so i said nothing.a few days ago, the signor sent for me."barnardine," says he, "you are--an honest man, i think i can trust you." i assured his excellenza that he could.
"then," says he, as near as i can remember, "i have an affair in hand, which i want you to assist me in."--then he told me what i was to do; but that i shall say nothing about--it concerned only the signora.'
'o heavens!' exclaimed emily--'what have you done?'
barnardine hesitated, and was silent.
'what fiend could tempt him, or you, to such an act!' cried emily, chilled with horror, and scarcely able to support her fainting spirits.
'it was a fiend,' said barnardine in a gloomy tone of voice.they were now both silent;--emily had not courage to enquire further, and barnardine seemed to shrink from telling more.at length he said, 'it is of no use to think of the past; the signor was cruel enough, but he would be obeyed.what signified my refusing? he would have found others, who had no scruples.'